Soldier
by V. Thomas
Summary: Reika has escaped war as long as possible by avoiding Pokémon entirely. She has stayed in Terrera her entire life, studying the peculiar creatures but always giving them a wide berth. Connecting with them means being cast into the war Ransei cannot seem to escape. When she is found with a Cubone, though, her life flips upside down, and the region's fate falls into her hands.


Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. Some human characters depicted are mine, however.

* * *

It was storming in Terrera, and Reika loved it. From the warmth of her room in the Terreran castle, she watched the rain pelt down and explode against the packed earth. Lightning flashed briefly, blinding fingers reaching down into the sands and illuminating the dunes. Shadows leapt up when the light came and slithered back to their homes when it vanished. All the while, thunder drummed away in the heavens as if it would go on forever.

Propping her elbows on the windowsill, Reika tried to count the number of raindrops trailing down the glass before her. One finger pressed to the window, jumping between trails, she diligently sought an answer. Each time she thought she was close to getting a number, though, the wind would change and unload a fresh barrage onto her window, destroying the count.

When lightning struck the sand just beyond the low garden walls, Reika had to blink to clear the spots from her vision, and again lost track of the streams. This time, she did not return to her task. Instead she mused over the storm's arrival. Out in the desert of Terrera, storms were scarce but welcomed. The farms benefited greatly with each burst of rain, and despite the fact that Terrerans held Groudon in greater respect than its counterpart, Kyogre, they still praised the titanic cerulean beast for bringing water to the arid land. Reika wondered if the Sea Basin Pokémon was somewhere above the desert at that moment, daring to soar over the lands of its ancient enemy. Then she wondered if Groudon would emerge from the sands to meet the other beast. After a moment's thought, she decided that she hoped it stayed wherever it was hiding. Better to be a myth than cause cataclysmic damage, she decided.

Just as she was about to turn away from her window and retreat into the comfort of the books piled onto her bed, lightning arced through the sky, and Reika caught sight of something scurrying towards the garden wall. Peering closer and attempting to ignore the spots in her vision, she saw that it was in fact a Pokémon, a Cubone, blundering through the cacti with something trailing from its bone club.

Immediately apprehension welled up in her. The Pokémon would not do well in the downpour and could possibly have taken something important from someone, yet no one was chasing it. Was it not a warrior's Pokémon? Why wasn't anyone looking after it?

For a moment, Reika was tempted to don a cloak and rush into the rain to catch the Cubone. However, she dug her nails into the wood of the sill. She would not be seen with a Pokémon. She would not get involved with a Pokémon. Most of all, she would not be sent to war because she connected with a Pokémon.

The war that had consumed Ransei for hundreds of years frightened her. Her parents had both fought during the time when an Auroran warlord united the region and formed a link with the great Arceus. Reika's mother, Kei, had told her about the battles that were so much a part of her, describing in great detail the way arrows fly from a bow into battle, the way sound fades until only the fight remains. Most often, though, she would tell stories about how she and her Excadrill survived the most harsh conditions and conflicts by weaving a vast network of tunnels below the earth.

Then there was Yukimura, Reika's father. With Shingen's passing, he stepped in as Terrera's warlord until Shingen's successor, Katsuyori, could be found and brought home. His tales included those of glorious fights alongside Ransei's hero, and of the final battle to take all power from Nobunaga. Some of the best and the worst included those with his Charizard, a formidable Fire-type. Most frequently, Yukimura shared the tale of when his Charmeleon evolved into Charizard just in time to save Kei's life. The draconic Pokémon burst into light, emerged with wings, and swooped down to save Kei from a brutal attack ordered by Mitsuhide. Without the Pokémon's sudden acquisition of the ability to fly, Kei would have been frozen solid, a statue left to line the Nixtorm castle's frigid halls.

Shivering at the thought, Reika tore herself from her reverie and looked back out the window. The downpour had not relented in the slightest, and the Cubone was still plowing through the desert plants. Peering closer, she realized that the small creature was thrashing about but staying in one place.

"It's caught," she breathed. Somehow, it must have entangled itself among the prickly, unforgiving plants, and was now flailing about in an attempt to free itself. It swung its club at the cacti only for them to remain impassive and for the bone to rebound onto its owner. The more the Cubone struggled, the more the bulbous plants riddled its skin with thorns and hemmed it in.

When the Pokémon collapsed, Reika knew she could watch no longer. She spun around to snatch her cloak from the end of her bed, knocking a few texts to the floor in the process. Stooping to pick them up with one hand, she used the other to close the clasp at her throat. Books in order once again, the dark-haired girl scampered from her room and down the spacious hallway. Lightning flashed with alarming intensity, casting flickering shadows on the walls before leaving all of the palace in darkness. Reika felt a sudden rush of gratitude towards the warriors who had furnished the halls. The sparse nature of the décor gave her a clear path to the courtyard, from which she would be able to access the gardens.

Before she plunged into the storm, Reika flipped her hood up and looked around to see if anyone was watching. It seemed, however, that all the guards were huddled in the relative dryness of the towers. Even if someone spotted her, they'd have to step into the tempest in order to drive her back into the warm palace walls. This gave Reika the confidence she needed to take her first step into the downpour.

It pounded on her head and shoulders without mercy, but she stubbornly dashed to the cactus patch she'd last observed the creature flailing in. The Pokémon was still there, to her relief, but its efforts to free itself were notably less fierce than before. Bony snout raised to the sky, the Cubone wailed while pushing at the prickly plants on all sides. Needles protruded from its paws, some broken from being tugged on or bent.

"You poor thing," Reika whispered, inching closer to the injured Pokémon. She noted that its club was cast aside, the mysterious object pinned beneath, and reached for it to get a better look. The Cubone, now less than an arm's length from Reika, swatted at her through the barrier of cacti. A needle grazed the back of Reika's hand and she let out a gasp as it tore the skin.

"_Cu!_" the little beast snapped, trying and failing to take hold of the bone again. Each attempt seemed to drive the old needles further into its palms and riddle its arms with new needles. Reika shuddered, careful not to brush the plants on either side of her. She could not imagine how painful that would be, having cactus thorns lodged into the skin up and down her arm.

"Let me help you," she said, this time reaching towards the Cubone. Again it attempted to fend her off by slapping at her, so Reika withdrew, biting her lip.

"You're difficult," she informed it. As she spoke, her teeth began to chatter. The chill of the rain was beginning to get to her. If she didn't convince the Cubone to accept her help soon, she would have to run all the way up a guard tower to find someone who might act on her behalf. By then, though, it could be much too late for the Pokémon.

Reika took one more look at the Pokémon struggling between the cacti and made up her mind. Before the Cubone could stop her, she snatched the bone out of its reach. The dark object wound around it proved to be an eye patch without any sort of design, but Reika only pocketed it, planning to address it later. Then she waved the bone at its owner, keeping it just out of reach.

"Come on, grab it. I can't touch the cacti. You've got to push through if you want your club back. Reach!" Reika waved the bone above the Cubone's head, trying to coax it into giving one last effort. The Pokémon cocked its head at her briefly, eyes dull underneath its skull helmet. The possibility that the Cubone might give up made Reika bite the inside of her cheek.

"You'll be stuck if you don't try!" she cried, pity overriding all of her previous reservations towards the creature. Somehow, some way, she had to get it out of the storm. Until it was safe and dry, she would be unable to rest. Reika was going to get it out of the cactus patch even if the rain soaked through her cloak and left her sopping wet. Her conscience would not permit her to do anything other than that.

Prodding the Cubone with the club just enough to anger it, Reika inched away. The Pokémon, which had begun to curl up in the sand and wail again, glanced up at her before dropping its head back to the ground. It was no longer concerned with retrieving the bone and appeared to have resigned to its fate, but Reika insisted on poking it again, this time with the sharper end of the club. She gave it a quick jab in the side before scuttling backward once more. To her surprise, the Ground-type snarled a little. When the thunder sounded off above, though, the snarl turned into a pathetic whimper.

"Scared of the storm?" Reika asked, receiving no response. Pinching the inside of her cheek between her teeth, she ran through her options. She could leave the Cubone to huddle in the rain and hope it survived the night, but certainly wouldn't. There was no guarantee the small Pokémon would last more than an hour, let alone until morning. Another choice was to continue nudging it with its club until the Cubone got up and pushed through the cacti, or they both froze in the downpour. Reika's final option was to plow through the cacti herself and pick up the Pokémon, even if that meant needles being driven into her arms and legs as well as carrying a temperamental Pokémon in her hands.

Setting the bone down, Reika made her choice.

"Hold still!" she demanded, wincing as cactus needles peppered her shins and forearms. The Cubone squirmed in her hands, even going so far as to head-butt her collarbone before pressing its prickly paws against her skin. Reika gasped, tears welling up in her eyes, but managed to extract herself from the plants surrounding her without dropping the Pokémon. Even when she was free of the cacti, she held onto the Ground-type, only pausing to scoop up the club as she made her way back towards the castle. Each step was met with resistance from the Cubone, which insisted on pressing its paws against her neck and lower face. Reika feared she might lose an eye if the Pokémon kept protesting, but continued all the same.

Craning her neck so as to put her face as far from the Pokémon's reach as possible, the hood of her cloak slipped, exposing her to the torrential downpour. With her hands full, she was unable to replace it without letting the Cubone escape, and the thought of the Pokémon cowering out in the desert, constantly in pain, hurt her much more than the rain ever could.

Ducking under the arch she'd first stepped into the storm through, Reika let out a small sigh before the Cubone jabbed her in the cheek again. "Stop that," she hissed, flinching. The Pokémon just pawed at her again, much more feebly than it had when Reika first lifted it from the patch of cacti. Then it began to whimper, pulling at the needles embedded in its paws.

In spite of the way the Cubone was treating her, Reika found herself pitying it more and more as she watched it tug at the needles, only to break them or push them in further. With each attempt, she found that it seemed younger and more helpless than ever before. Suddenly Reika was proud of herself for rescuing it from the storm and whatever might find it out in the desert. She was the girl who never wanted to approach a Pokémon, and yet she may have saved one's life.

Pleased with this, she didn't notice the figure blocking her way until she crashed into him.

"Grandfather Masayuki!" Startled, she backpedaled a few steps before lowering her head in respect. "I'm sorry," she said, holding the Pokémon close to her chest as if to shield herself from the formidable old man before her. Cactus spines jabbed at her through her cloak and overshirt, though, so she relinquished her grip slightly.

"Reika," her grandfather mumbled. "What are you doing with a Pokémon? I thought you didn't like them." Stroking his beard, Masayuki peered down at her with narrowed eyes. Reika thought she heard the usual disdain in his voice; he didn't like that his only granddaughter refused to interact with Pokémon. He had expected his son to produce more war-like children, not quiet girls who preferred books to battle.

"It was out in the storm," Reika finally admitted after looking her grandfather up and down more than once. His arms were crossed in front of his barrel chest and Reika felt as if she were shrinking in his presence. "It was stuck in the cactus patch. I…didn't want to leave it out there because some other Pokémon might have found it. And hurt it, maybe killed it," she added hastily. Scrunching up her nose as a drop of water rolled down from her hair, she realized that the scratches on her face stung rather fiercely.

Masayuki scowled down at her for what seemed like hours, dark eyes narrowed. Reika wanted to duck her head and slip by without another word, but knew better than to even try slinking away from her grandfather. Instead she did all she could to remain patient while the Cubone wriggled in her arms, crying out whenever it snapped a needle in half, leaving a part of it embedded in her arm.

"Pokémon die every day," her grandfather finally said, low voice almost impossible to hear over the pounding of the rain on the roof. "But," he went on, "this could be an entirely different case. I'll take it to your mother to get it fixed up. You get those needles out of your arms."

Shocked, Reika could not protest as Masayuki lifted the Cubone from her arms and strode away with it peering over his shoulder balefully. It appeared that he had his armor on beneath his clothing, as usual, because the Pokémon's pathetic thrashing didn't seem to bother him in the slightest. Reika only gaped as they turned the corner and vanished, the Pokémon's club still in her hand.

Eventually her senses returned, along with the fierce stinging sensation the cactus needles had been providing. Now that the Cubone was gone, she could freely inspect the damage to her limbs. Needles protruded everywhere from her ankle to the base of her knee. Her wrists were lined with the spiny things, and when she brushed her fingers over the shallow cuts on her face, she found that her charge had broken the skin in trying to push her away. The tips of her fingers were red with blood from the tiny slits left behind.

Blood didn't sit well with her. Deciding that she needed to clean up and get the Arceus-forsaken thorns out of her skin, Reika swallowed hard and set off down the hall, passing the corridor her grandfather had turned down. She tried not to think about the way it was slowly rolling down her cheek, and forced herself to take deep breaths when she became aware of the metallic smell.

"Why did I do that?" she whispered to no one in particular, gut churning when she looked at her reddened fingers again. Disgusted, she considered wiping them on her cloak, but realized that the pale leather would be stained with it. She'd never wear it again if that were the case, and instead cleaned her hands on her tunic's hem. At least she had other, more comfortable tunics to wear in place of the one she had on.

When she stepped into the small infirmary, Reika found that she was not alone. Sitting up in the farthest bed from the door was a warrior she knew rather well, as her parents had asked him to teach her all about the aspects of being a Terreran warrior. He'd failed in that, but had been a very good friend to Reika even after she announced that she didn't want to fight.

"Hi, Kaito." She waved as she approached the end of his bed, and he turned. A thick white bandage was wrapped around his head, obscuring his right eye. Reika tried not to grimace as she recalled the day the warrior had been admitted to the infirmary. Fresh from the battlegrounds of Pugilis, he had lost an eye in the scuffle that ensued. Half-blind, he had been escorted from the field by his Mightyena, who was currently snoring beneath the bed.

"Reika," he greeted her. Catching sight of her injuries, his remaining eye darkened. "You look like you got in a fight with a Cacnea. And you're soaked. What happened?"

Reika sat beside him, shedding her cloak and wrapping the bone club in it, before beginning the process of removing the cactus needles. She let out a hiss from between her teeth the first time she succeeded, surprised that the removal was so painful. "I saw a little Cubone get stuck in the cactus patch so I went after it. Got it back inside. Ran into my grandfather, let him take it, and came here to get these stupid things out." As she finished speaking, she yanked out a cluster of needles and chomped down on her lip, eyes filling with tears. She blinked rapidly to clear her vision.

"Oh. In any case, though," Kaito replied, "you shouldn't be pulling those out so roughly. You'll break them." Reika looked at him from the corner of her eye to find he was holding out a hand to her. An offer of assistance, she realized. She shook her head.

"I can get them," she declared, wiggling another thorn out of her arm, albeit less violently than before. Kaito was sure to be skeptical, but she ignored the idea. The cactus needles weren't life-threatening or difficult to remove. They simply hurt.

For a while, the only sound aside from the storm was Kaito's Mightyena attempting to snore above the roll of thunder. At times, the wolfish Pokémon would almost succeed, letting out massive snorts as he turned over beneath the bed. Twice he stretched out and pushed Kaito's heels out of the way before snuffling and curling up once more. Kaito reached down with a smile to scratch behind Mightyena's ears.

"Say, Reika," he began. "You didn't happen to see my eye patch while you were off playing the hero, did you? I was apparently napping when Ume set it on the end of the bed, and it went missing. I've had to keep wearing the bandages instead."

Reika smiled as she pulled out the final thorn in her left arm. Then she reached into the folds of the sash around her waist, pulling out the item she'd discovered wound around the end of the Cubone's club. It had been soaked, but suffered no other damage.

"This what you're looking for?" she asked, passing it over to her companion. The injured warrior grinned.

"Well, Ume told me about it since I never actually saw it, but yes. This is probably it."

"The Cubone had it. Stole it while you slept, I bet." Reika chuckled wryly. She then gestured at Mightyena and Kaito before adding, "And some warriors you are, sleeping right through it. Remind me not to have you two guard anything important."

"I'm wounded," Kaito retorted, pressing a hand to his chest. He flashed a broad grin and his eyes gleamed, proving his morose tone to be nothing more than a show.

The pair bantered back and forth for a while as Kaito removed his bandages in favor of the eye patch. It seemed that the storm was beginning to let up as they chattered. Rain began to tap on the windows rather than attempt to shatter them, and the lightning only sparked every once in a while.

Reika rose as the storm began to falter, though, having finally picked all the thorns from her skin. "I need to find a dry change of clothes," she said apologetically, picking up her cloak and the club, then taking a few steps toward the hall. Still facing Kaito, she didn't realize that her way was being barred by her grandfather, who had placed himself in the middle of the doorway. For the second time that night, Reika apologized profusely to him.

"I'm so sorry, I am. I didn't see you there," she managed, eyes flicking back to Kaito for help. He shrugged and looked away to pet his Mightyena, leaving her without support as Masayuki loomed above without saying a word. The stoic old man only jerked his head toward the hall and strode away. Reika hesitated, curling her fingers into her cloak, but followed him with her head down.

Here it comes, she thought bleakly. He'll have my head, I know it. I should have let someone else go after the Cubone.

To her surprise, Masayuki said no such thing.

"Your parents wish to speak to you," he told her, putting a hand on Reika's shoulder. She thought her knees would buckle between the shock of her grandfather's declaration and the heavy weight of his hand.

"They do?"

"Yes. Now go." And there was no more from Reika's grandfather. He simply led the way down the halls before stopping at Yukimura and Kei's door. Once there, he gave his granddaughter a pointed look, briskly rapped on the door, and then nudged Reika forward. Unbalanced, she stumbled into her father, who was still in his full armor for some reason.

"That was quick," Yukimura mused, helping Reika regain her footing. She rubbed the back of her head and looked to her mother, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks. The daughter of a warlord and renowned warrior, and she couldn't even stand upright long enough to walk through a door. They must think I'm such a disappointment, she thought, clasping her hands together and shuffling to the side as Masayuki entered behind her. She lowered her gaze to the floor, praying to all manner of deities that she was not in as much trouble as it seemed she was.

"Reika, we need to talk."

There it was. Five simple, dreaded words. Reika wanted to throw up.


End file.
